Massive open-air burn pits built to incinerate trash, plastics, styrofoam, solvents, lithium batteries, and even medical waste are producing hazardous fumes and a severe evironmental risk to military personnel, civilian contractors, third-party nationals and nearby residents in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you have been made sick or debilitated or had a loved one die from exposure, contact us.

The article quotes a letter from several members of congress sent to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, "After years of helping veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars cope with the health effects of toxic battlefields, we have learned that we must take exposures to toxins seriously to ensure that this generation of service members does not face the same difficulties."

Reporting on the front lines

Writing for the Army Times and Navy Times, Kelly Kennedy has reported on the environmental health hazards threatening soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the article, quoting a memo from Dec., 2006, Air Force Lt. Col. Darrin Curtis, former bioenvironmental flight commander for Joint Base Balad, wrote of the burn pit: “In my professional opinion, there is an acute health hazard for individuals. There is also the possibility for chronic health hazards associated with the smoke.”

Referring to a report, the article states that the Rand Corporation concludes that "the Defense Department has no overarching policy to ensure environmental mishaps in Iraq and Afghanistan don’t harm troops’ health, create political disputes and avoid costly clean-up efforts when it’s time to leave those countries."

The cited Rand Corp. report:
Green Warriors: Army Environmental Considerations for Contingency Operations from Planning Through Post-Conflict

A civilian working with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing has filed a lawsuit against KBR and Halliburton, claiming the companies exposed personnel at Balad to unsafe water, food and hazardous fumes from the burn pit there.